Electricity conductor means



8- 511 1942- L. e. MORTEN ETAL 2,293,911

ELECTRICITY CONDUCTOR MEANS Filed Sept. 27, 1939 I Ti l.

ll]: [WW W a I a I H INVENTO LOUIS G. MORT BY OSEPH F. 0' EN 7 5 k THFJRA ORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRICITY CONDUCTOR MEANS Louis G. Morten, Teaneck, and Joseph F. OBrien, Jersey City, N. L, assignors to John B. Pierce Foundation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application September 27, 1939, Serial No. 296,752

1 Claim. (Cl. 174-117) The present invention relates to outlet-provided electrical conductors and conductor systems.

Pursuant to the present invention, such elecdiameter to afford a degree of flexing of the body, to enhance the facility of installation, 1. e., turning about corners or the like, passing over sills and frames of windows, doorways and trical conductor means comprises the required 5 the like.

number of electrical conductors, assembled as A preferred assembly of the individual parts hereinafter more specifically set forth, and prefmay be comprised in embodiments of the invenerably having flat longitudinal faces. tion, had by helically winding or otherwise suit- More particularly, embodiments of the invenably applying insulation, such as glass fibre tion comprise, say, two electrical conductors, one 10 about the individual electrical conductors, the of which may be the hot wire and so suitably insulation about the conductors being usually designated, assembled with suitable means for distinctive; such insulatedly wound conductors suitably spacing and suitably insulating the indiare secured in proper mutually spaced relation, vidual electrical conductors relative to one anas by mounting the same at opposing faces of a other, and adapted for interconnection with an 1 supporting, desirably insulating, member; the electrical outlet, of conventional or other preferred configuration of such member and therewith asconstruction, the aforesaid being arranged to be sembled plurality of electrical conductors is such per se installed at any desired location, such as to result in a flat longitudinal face, desirably at as upon the face of a building wall or the like, inthe rear longitudinal face to thereby facilitate eluding passage through walls, over window and 2 securement to the face of a wall or the like. door sills, and like locations of installation. Such Such supporting member is preferably of flexielectrical outlet is advantageously disposed at ble material, such as rubber compound or comone end of an indefinite length of conductor position material. Such assembly of insulated means. electrical conductors and supporting member is Other embodiments of the invention may comsuitably wholly enclosed by suitable material, prise a plurality of electrical conductor means preferably possessing yieldable and electrical or lengths, constituting units of either uniform insulating qualities, such as glass spun fibre or or other standard longitudinal dimensions, each fabric, locally" affixed in position by varnish, unit embodying insulatedly comprised electrical shellac or flexible lacquer or the like affording conductors having exposed terminals extending 30 protection against scufllng. Such locally amxed beyond the body of the unit, the respective units outer enclosing member effects the securement being assembled in seriatim by mere insertion of the electrical conductors in mutually spaced of the exposed terminals into suitable electrical position and insulatedly supported relation to the terminals of immediately adjacent units. By such flexible supporting means for variant positions seriatim arrangement the units are interconof the body of the electrical conductor means or nected mechanically as well as electrically. it,

Desirably, the individual electrical conductors As one means of positioning such assembly are tubing preferably of copperat any desired location of installation, eyelets individual electrical conductors may be wire of or the like entered in rfor tion at desired or other Suitable ,conducting material intervals in the strip of the supporting member, f i tubular Socket termmals for reception of afford the reception of nails, screws, or other pin-like or other electrical elements interconfastenm elements necting such tubular socket terminals with the g proper conducting elements of adjacent 11mm Glass spun fibre or fabric serves admirably as Advantageously, the dimensions of the respec insulating material in the assembly of the intive units other than their longitudinal dimension, particularly the dimensions exposed to visual observation when installed, are\uniform, to thereby present a substantially uniformly continuous contour, rendering the same adaptable as a molding and for other purposes of artistic effects.

Desirably, such tubular or solidelectrical conductors extending through the body of such electrical conductor means or units are of minimum vention by reason of its dielectric qualities, pliability and surface smoothness.

In lieu of rubber compound or composition, the supporting member may be of cellulosic or other material suitably treated for pliability, waterproofness and, if desired, for dielectric qualities.

For a two-conductor assembly, optimum arrangement is had by employing a fiat strip as the supporting member and supporting the concable or other Wiring.

ductors at the opposite longitudinal edges of the strip.

Further features and objects of the invention will be more fully understood from the following detail description and the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of one embodiment of the invention, a portion thereof being broken away to expose otherwise hidden parts.

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 4 is asectional view on a lengthwise plane, illustrating another embodiment of the invention,namely of interconnected unit assembly type.

Fig. -5 is a perspective view, largely diagrammatic, illustrating a manner of application of use of the invention, and in particular the type of the invention shown in Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawing, Fig. 1 shows in plan and Figs. 2 and 3 in perspective transverse is relativelypliable to thereby afford bending and/or twisting of the body without disturbance of the electrical insulated relationship of the conductors I6, I! relative to one another for variant flexed positions of the body.

To aflord ready securement of the conductor body to the surface of a wall and other struc- .tural parts of a building the rear longitudinal face is preferably flat, suitable means for receiving screws, nails or like fastening elements are provided, such as eyelets 20 which may be of metal, which are passed through suitable openings formed in the supporting member I8 and swaged therein under pressure, as will be understood by those skilled in the art. The helically wound or other externally applied covering I9 is displaced at the locations of such eyelets 20 or the like, to preserve continuity of the covering material I 9.

The conductors I6, ll, of th body of the electrical conductor means and also the conductors I 2, I3, of the outlet I0 may be tubing, in which arrangement the mechanical connection between sections, a type of the invention affording any desired length for the body of the electrical connector means. In such embodiment, at one end, say, at the left-hand end illustrated in Fig. 1, is provided an electrical outlet I0 having openings II, II, for receiving the terminals of an electrical plug of conventional or other approved construction.

The body of the electrical conductor means, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 5, comprises electrical conductors I6, H, which are mounted in proper electrical spaced relation and protected to afford electrical insulation to eliminate fire hazard and afford protection against electrical shocks to humans, and otherwise satisfy electrical code requirements.

As one. form of a two conductor assembly, such two conductors, I6, I'I, 'may be covered by helically winding suitable insulation Ilia, Ila, such as glass spun fibre, or applying glass or other fabric; such insulating coverings may be distinctive in color, if desired to indicate charged and grounded wires. The proper spacing and mounting for such electrical conductors, as appears from Figs. 1, 2 and 3, is had by employment of a supporting member I8, preferably of rubber or like flexible material, affording also electrical insulation, the edges I8a, IBb of which are preferably grooved or equivalent to afford secured positioning of the two electrical conductors I 6, I1, thereat. The body of the electrical conductor means may be completed by the application of an exterior covering I9, such as wound spun glass fibre orenclosing fabric possessing the attribute of resisting chafing, ensuing as when the length is passed through openings in a wall, floor and the like pursuant to the conventional method of fishing" an electrical Such attribute of resistance against chafing also renders the body of the material immune against damage arising when struck by the frame of a carpet sweeper, vacuum cleaner, contacted by a shoe or other personal clothing, etc. Such fibre or fabric may be secured in position by a coating of shellac, varnish or the like, serving also to close all voids in the outer insulating covering.

Desirably, the cross-sectional dimension of the conductors I6, I'i, the thickness dimension of the supporting member I8 and the insulation Ilia, I'la and outer covering I9 is such that the body of the resulting electrical conductor means the body and the outlet and also electrical connection between conductors of like polarity may be had by means of conductor pins frictionally received at and within the abutting terminal portions of the respective conductors. Such interconnecting conductor pins are described more specifically and shown, as appears hereinafter, in respect to the type of embodiment shown in Fig. 4.

The conductor means, as typified in Fig. 1, may have the terminals at both ends of the electrical conductors extending beyond th body, or

only at one end thereof, as at the left hand end as viewed in Fig. 1, to facilitate insertion of the respective terminals into terminal sockets of any suitable therewith connected electrical device.

Referring now to the type of embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 4, and illustrated as to one manner of use as a molding for a floor base board, the electrical conductor means is comprised of seriatim related units, each unit comprising a body designated I9A enclosing an assembly of parts and constructed as hereinabove described, in relation to the body of the embodiment of Figs. 1, 2, and 3. The component units of the embodiment of Fig. 4 are shown as having uniform length and generally of uniform crosssectional dimensions, vide Fig. 5, to present visually substantially uniform continuity of appearance. Such units may be of two types, with or without an electrical outlet. Such electrical outlets in Figs. 4 and 5 are designated IDA. Such outlets IDA may have the construction of the outlet ill of Figs. 1, 2, and 3. The non-outlet provided type of unit has in lieu of an outlet a mechanical and electrical connecting member "B which corresponds in component parts and construction to'theoutlet I0 but devoid of plugterminal receiving openings I I, I I, that is to say, having solid frontal walls. Such non-outlet provided type may serve as an angle or corner interconnecting member as indicated at IllB', see Figs. 4 and 5. The preferably tapered, frictional connector to conductor interconnecting pins, referredto also above in relation to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, are designated in Fig. 4, as 2 I.

The individual electrical conductors of the non-outlet provided members IOB and I 0B are designated I2 and I3.

The member 22, see Fig. 5, indicates an electrical switch member, the contacts and terminals of which are suitably connected to the electrical conductors of the immediately adjacent units, for closing a circuit through the unit MA and therewi h connected unit or electrical conductor means such as in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, which may lead to an electrical lighting lamp, electrical fan or the like.

As appears from Fig. 4, and representing a preferred construction of the body of the outlet 10, of Figs, 1 and 3, a socket-like formation I M is provided at the edges of the opposite ends of the body of the outlet, to preclude mechanical spacing and separation thereat with the abutting end of'the unit body in which the electrical conductors I6, [1, are insulatedly mounted, thus precluding entry from the exterior of foreign matter such as dirt, washing fluid, careless insertion of metallic object, or the like.

From the above, it appears that the invention provides for electrical conductor means either in strip or seriatim connected unit form comprising a body possessing pliable or flexing characteristics and constituted of the desired number of individual electrical conductors mutually spacedly and electrically insulatedly supported by a strip or unit length of flexible material, such electrical conductors and supporting strip or unit length eing enclosed and protected by yieldable material, preferably insulating fibre or fabric affixed in position locally throughout by suitable flexing medium, whereby at variant flexed positions of the body the outer enclosing material is maintained intact and the enclosed electrical conductors preserved in proper mutually spaced relation and secured supported positions relative to the supporting member.

In the use of the strip type of the invention, indicated by the embodiment shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the free end or ends may be denuded of the outer covering material and the individual CJI conductors bared of insulating covering by employment of a knif or like instrument.

In embodiments of the invention of the type illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, using a fiat supporting member and supporting two electrical conductors at its longitudinal edges, a third conductor or additional conductors may be positioned at the frontal face of the supporting member, desirably in individual grooves or equivalent to thereby present when assembled a fiat frontal longitudinal face, as well as a flat rear longitudinal face.

Whereas the invention has been described by reference to specific forms thereof, it will be understood that many changes and modifications may be made without departing from th spirit of the invention.

, spun glass fiber envelop We claim:

Electricity conductor means comprising a spacer strip of flexible insulation material having a width exceeding its depth and a substantially hemi-cylindrical groove formed in each of its edge walls, an electricity conductor positioned within each of said grooves, a smooth, hard. outer insulating envelop of spun glass fiber securing said conductors within said grooves, said spun glass fiber envelop being coated with varnish or like hard-setting material to close voids in such outer insulating envelop and enhance the smoothness thereof, and tubular eyelet means passing through said spun glass fiber envelop and said spacer strip at spaced intervals along said conductor means in insulated relationship with respect to said conductor means, and swaged in position under pressure to securely anchor said at said spaced intervals. LOUIS G. MORTEN. JOSEPH F. OBRIEN. 

